Trunk Light Solution

[RRoller123]

The lack of an adequate trunk light has been bothering me for a while, so I worked out this solution. Bought a "Trunk Light LED Kit" off the internet and, after a lot of consideration as to where to put it, I installed it to the battery box cover. It keeps ALL of the wiring hidden, centers the light and has it as high as it can be inside the trunk, without putting it in the underside of the trunk lid itself. The feeds come directly off the battery, first through a trailer wiring connector, so the battery box can be disconnected with the light wiring and removed from the trunk. Then to an inline spade type fuse holder, then to a simple rocker switch mounted to the top of the box which turns it off and on. It is certainly bright enough!





The LED strip happened to be exactly the same length as the BB is wide. Ran the leads through a small grommet hole around the top right corner.



With the light off.......



and then on.....

[AriK]

Good job Pete! That sure is bright!
When i did mine i installed some push-button battery-operated magnetic LED lights on the underside of the bulkhead. They're not visible and they emit good source of light. Yes they need AA batteries but the good thing about them is that i can grab one or two and bring them to the engine compartment if i need to tinker in darkness when i'm on the road. Not that i drive a breaker but it's still nice to grab light when needed. Batteries last about 2 years.
I also got the stock trunk light working just for the sake of originality. The original power wire was hidden and hanging in the fender well. I even took the time to polish the paint off the lens to make it look new again. The brightness of the light however is a joke and its impossible to power it with an LED due to the reverse polarity fixture.

[RRoller123]

That sounds like a great solution!

Would you please post a picture of that original trunk light? I have never seen one and I bet most people here haven't either!

Pete

[So Cal Mark]

I found that if the light isn't hidden it blinds you when you open the trunk. I've been installing them on the underside of the body above and to the side of the battery. That way the light shines down and not into your eyes. I've used both led strips and led license lights depending on the look I want. I use a mercury switch attached to the hinge so that the light comes on when the lid is about half way open

[AriK]

That sounds like a great solution!

Would you please post a picture of that original trunk light? I have never seen one and I bet most people here haven't either!

Pete

I believe there's an archaic post on here about the original trunk light. Pete, you might surprise yourself to find the power wire trampled up in the pits of your fender well. It's a thoughtless option designed to light up with your headlight switch set to on.



This is the area I placed some magnetic lights for the odd time I'm at a car show after dark or if I just need access to a handheld work light.
Works for me.

[RRoller123]

Yes I have the yellow and black feed wire with the 2-pin connector, taped up and tucked away in the cavity beside the shock.
Mine has no power when the lighting switch is off, power when the parking lights are on, and no power when the headlights are on, unless the engine is running. Idiotic logic for a trunk light.

But I may source and put an original light in, just for the sake of said originality.

Mark that sounds like a really good solution too.

Pete

[v6spider]

I found that if the light isn't hidden it blinds you when you open the trunk. I've been installing them on the underside of the body above and to the side of the battery. That way the light shines down and not into your eyes. I've used both led strips and led license lights depending on the look I want. I use a mercury switch attached to the hinge so that the light comes on when the lid is about half way open

Mark do you have a pic of a license bolt light install? It sounds like a direction I may go.. Both in the trunk and under the hood..

Thanks!
Rob

[So Cal Mark]

I don't have a pic of the light installed, as I try to hide them so the light isn't in your eyes. Here is the link to the lights I use;
http://www.delcity.net/store/LED-Licens ... t/p_809845

[Turbofiat124]

This reminds me:



I bought a spider where someone had ran jumper wire from one rear park light to the other. After I removed this wire and wired it back up, I discovered I kept blowing a fuse that operates the tail light, marker light, dash lights and trunk light and maybe something else. Anyway everything on that circuit.

After some troubleshooting I discovered someone had removed the bulb and plugged the + wire to the tab that should hold the bulb! So it was a short circuit.

I like your solution. I may have to copy it!

[RRoller123]

Anyone have one of those original trunk light setups they would like to sell? Oddly enough, I would like to install it, to show some of the originality of the car. It irritates me to have the lead wire taped up and sitting in the shock well. Odd, I know, but that's the way this Spider rolls.

Pete

[dreavis]

I like the LED puck lights. I was in the hardware store today and they had some LED puck lights with a motion sensor (auto on/off) for about $11.50. Didn't buy them, but I thinking about it. It seems like a good solution, but I wonder how the motion sensor would react in a moving vehicle. Kind of like worrying about whether the refrigerator light goes out when you close the door.

I could always stash my son's GoPro in there and see what happens.

[RRoller123]

I think those puck lights (on the underside) are excellent! I considered them as well, but I just wanted to share my thoughts as to why I went with the exposed strip. First, I think the hidden pucks do look a lot better. No question about it. But the only time this lighting system ever gets used in my car, would be at night in an emergency, when I really need to clearly read a manual or work on some fiddly mechanical part and need a lot of direct light back near the trunk latch area. The bar lights up the whole trunk, very well, right back to the rear latch area. I positioned the bar on the underside to compare before choosing the battery box, and there was no question that it provided far less light. Also, there is no glare from the bar, since there are 30 LEDs. You can stare at it with no ill effects. The glare in the pic is a camera lens effect.

Or when broken down on the side of the road at night (never happened to me so far thankfully ), when the light bar on the battery box would act as a really strong safety beacon, facing directly backwards. In fact, to go along with this application, I am looking for one of those Mercedes Benz type reflective triangles that they used to put on the underside of their 220/230 trunks. It even provides enough projected rear facing light that it could assist with the application of jumper cables too (for some unfortunate owner of another brand close behind).

Maybe I overthought it, but the puck approach definitely does look better. I may convert back to that after living with this approach for awhile.

Pete

[AriK]

It's likely that the motion sensor mimics the type that senses heat such as those at the entrance doors of the supermarket. Inside the trunk of a car the motion is relative to its surroundings therefore they wouldn't activate while you drive. I believe the motion sensors might be a pain in the butt, for example, when i look for my house key under the glare of a motion porch light it suddenly turns itself off when i'm still. I guess i can get up on a ladder and adjust it.
For puck lights that also act as portable service lights that you can use in the engine bay or under the dash at night, motions will turn against you.
I got myself a reflective triangle from a truck stop. Too heavy to pin under the trunk lid because the base is filled with sand for balance stability, (plus i've got enough screws in my trunk lid). Again, it's portable and since we don't live in a perfect world, under certain circumstances we may want to place that triangle a certain distance away from the car or make use of it for someone else's trouble.
I have mine hidden from view between the floor board and gas tank.

[RRoller123]

That's a really good idea. It looks like you have put as much attention into your trunk as that excellent engine bay! And no way would I bother with a motion sensor switch. Just asking for trouble. Just turn it on and off like any other light.

[AriK]

Thanks Pete
It's step by step with these cars. When she behaves i treat her to another upgrade or enhancement. When she's a bitch i need to walk away and take a breather for some days. I think everyone here knows where i'm coming from.
To answer you question from previous post, the artwork was from an airbrush/tatoo specialist. As stated, she was behaving that particular week